Chapter Text
“Winnie, Winnie sweetheart, where are you?!” You exclaimed as You ran throughout the house.
You came up to her room, pushing the door open slowly a sigh of relief leaving your lips.
”sweetheart daddy’s going to be here soon.”
Winnie glanced up from where she was lying face down in her pillow her lip wobbling “I don’t want to go mommy, please don’t make me go.” She whimpered.
Your hands fell to your side, your heartbreaking at the sight of your daughters tear stained face. You crossed the room to her bed sitting down gently at her side. Your hands rested on her head moving her brunette locks from her face.
“Winnie baby we already went through this.” You sighed. “It’s daddy’s turn to spend sometime with you, don’t you think he would be awfully sad if you didn’t go?”
Another lone tear made its way down your daughters cheek, “ he has Dolores mommy, he doesn’t need me, he’ll be fine without me.” She muttered before burying her head into her pillow.
Lately this had become the routine and it only ever occurred when it was Bucky days to take Winnie, and where the problem lies you might ask? The problem was Bucky’s latest new dame dot.
Now Winnie absolutely despises dot with all her being. You know it, I’m certain Bucky knows it, and I’m sure as hell Dolores know it. I understand where my daughter comes from though I honestly do. Dolores wasn’t like us, it’s not something Winnie was used too.
While Dolores was well mannered, she was also materialistic. Where she was prim and proper she was also very loud mouthed. Why Bucky had chosen to keep her around as long as he did, well you honestly just weren’t sure what kept her around.
Since your split it was no news to you about the different dames Bucky had started to bring around. Each new conquest lasting a night, two if Bucky was feeling rather lonely. So why Dolores had made it past the two nights really left you bewildered. Dolores while pleasant to be around could only be taken in doses, and You could only assume your daughter had reached her limit upon first meeting her. It was upsetting to think that Bucky would keep someone around when it was clearly affecting the one thing that should be most important to him than some dame, his daughter. It was clearly beginning to affect their relationship she dreaded spending time with her dad now! While Bucky was rather slow at picking up on things, he couldn’t possibly be that blind to it could he?
The loud knock of a door pulled you from your thoughts, a sigh leaving your lips as you gave your daughter one more comforting rub before making your way to the front door. You pulled it open giving Bucky a small smile
“hey Bucky, you might want to come in, it’s one of those days.”
Bucky raised a brow at your request but came in anyway“everything okay, why isn’t she ready, did she not know I was coming?”
"of course she knew you were coming, but just like every other time you’ve come she’s refusing to go, I'm honestly surprised you haven't picked up what the problem is." You huffed.
Bucky cocked his hip his arms crossing on his chest, "There's a problem, please do enlighten me to what this "problem" is because surely i have been left in the dark about it."
You sent him a glare, "please don't pretend as if you don't see it Buck, please don't act as if you don't see who the problem is!"
Now it was Bucky's turn to send you a glare letting out a breath in frustration, "Seriously y/n this again, are you sure that Winnie is the one with the problem and not you, did you forget that the reason that we are in this current situation is because of YOU, YOU asked for this not me!" he seethed.
You scoffed, tears began to pool at the back of your eyes threatening to spill over. "Don't you dare put this solely on me James Buchanan Barnes, i did not ask for this, i was willing to fight for us but YOU are the one that chose to leave, so don't you dare put this over my head because i would never have wanted this not in a million years!" You cried leaning forward to poke his chest.
It was true, you had never asked for this, this isn't what you had imagined would have happened to your family when you had finally decided enough was enough. You had just gotten tired, tired of the disappointments, the tears, the broken promises, the feeling of being placed on the back burner. Tired of wiping your daughters tears from the times her father could not attend the special events, tired of making promises for her that her father had broken.
"Well jealousy doesn't look pretty on you." he muttered.
"How dare you Barnes, what gave you the damn nerve to tell me that, when i decided to finally confront you its because i had had enough i never intended my words to be taken as i wanted to separate you think this is what i wanted." You questioned your anger quickly flaring "Of course not, i wanted to work on us, i was willing to fight for us, but you, you just let us go, so don't you dare think i would ever be jealous of one of your conquests!"
You hadn’t intend for your words to come out so harsh but what did you have to be jealous of Dolores for?! You really hadn’t ever expected to be in this situation, you never saw your life panning out like this. Bucky new exactly why you had come at him the way you did, he knew the reason your family was in the situation you were in now and he was very much the reason for it. Bucky lived a very busy life working for stark industries, always being swamped with projects, closing deals, staying late in the office to finish proposals, you name it. There was always responsibilities that got placed before both you and your daughter and it was heartbreaking to have to wipe your daughters tears when daddy was a no show to her most special events. There was bring your parent to school day, her winter recital, end of the year talent show, work somehow always got in the way.
Your final straw had been Christmas Eve, Winnie had been so excited to finally spend time with her daddy sitting around the Christmas tree in her jammies while opening presents and showing each and every one to bucky. Winnie knew how busy her daddy was and she knew that he missed some events due to work, so for this reason she had made him pinky promise her that he would be here, that work wouldn't keep him from this promise. Alas promises are meant to be broken at times and this one hadn't been the first.
Bucky was an amazing father, Winnie had him wrapped around her fingers from day one. One could not be without the other, they were two peas in a pod. When work got in they way though, well buckys priorities tended to fly out the window.
"y/n that's not what i meant, you know Winnies my girl, you're my gir-"
You raised your hand silencing him "please don't buck, i don't want to fight with you anymore." You whispered letting your head fall.
"daddy, daddy, daddy!"
Buck and you both turned you heads at the squeal of your daughters voice. You both watched as she raced into the room making a beeline for Bucky's legs. He leaned down scooping her in his arms as she crashed into him her arms encircling his neck tightly.
"Hey sweetheart you ready to spend sometime with daddy?" he asked bouncing her on his hip.
Winnie nodded frantically, "of course daddy im so excited to go to the park with you and grandma Winniefred!"
Bucky's face fell "Uhm actually sweetheart Dot invited us to go to the ice rink with her and her family, you'd like that wouldn't you?"
Your daughters smile quickly became solemn her head dropping "yeah i guess so."
Bucky tried to lighten the mood again by bouncing her on his hip promising that they would have an absolute blast at the rink together. "What do you say we get going sweetheart so we can go have some fun." Winnie nodded her head "alright doll tell mommy by and you'll see her Christmas Eve."
Winnies head perked up as she leaned forward wrapping her hands around your neck pulling you in tightly causing your footing to throw you off and sending you tumbling into buckys chest. Winnie gave you an onslaught of kisses, while you braved yourself against buckys chest allowing yourself to feel him. You pulled back grasping her cheeks in your hands, "winnie you be good for daddy and you have fun alright, ill see you on christmas eve, make sure you tell grandma winniefred that i love her to pieces okay?"
Winnie nodded her head leaning in for one more kiss before grasping onto bucky again. Bucky opened the door stepping out as you handed him Winnies overnight bag. "I'll have her back on Christmas Eve." he muttered giving you a quick nod of his head as he walked down the pathway of your once shared home. You watched from the doorway as Bucky loaded Winnie into her seat making sure she was secure before walking around to the drivers side and starting the car. You continued to watch even as they drove down the street only closing the door once they were out of view.
The days without Winnie were the longest, there was only so much cleaning that could be done and that was just in the first day. Looking around at your now spotless home you decided that you needed to just relax. Grabbing a bottle of wine you plopped yourself onto the couch turning on the tv to tune into some netflix. You scrolled through the endless series and movies, nothing catching your eye, you chose to scroll a few more titles pausing when your phone began to vibrate from your pocket. You placed your wine glass down reaching for your phone, you squinted in confusion "Grandma Winnifreds" caller ID flashing across the screen.
You slid the green button bringing the phone up to my ear.
"Hello"
"Oh thank god you answered sweetheart" winniefreds voice came through in a panic.
"Mom are you okay what's going on, are you okay, is winnie okay?" You asked your voice wavering in panic.
A choked sob sounded through on the other end of the line, "I'm so sorry y/n, please dont be mad at me."
Your worry began to rise more, "Momma what are you on about, whats going on please just tell me, is winnie okay?"
"We're in the emergency room sweetheart, winnie had an accident.."